Proper wood for kids workstation

I’m getting ready to build a counter-height workstation for my kids but I’m having trouble deciding on the proper type of wood for this project. I’m not the most skilled woodworker, but I do have the basic skills. I was thinking of using either birch 3/4” plywood or MDF since I will be painting it. Any thoughts?

Plywood edges will show the laminations. MDF will paint and route well, but it won’t be a resistant to breaking as ply iof you have any long, narrow spans without support. There is a much more dense MDF product for exterior use (Extira brand) that might do the job. It is heavy.Bill

i’m not too worried about the lamination layers showing if i use plywood. While I want to it be a quality piece, it will be for my kids, who will certainly grow out of it in a few years. i figure a nice cabinet-grade plywood would be sufficient. The only part I’m concerned about is the holding power of screws into the end of the plywood.

i’m not too worried about the lamination layers showing if i use plywood. While I want to it be a quality piece, it will be for my kids, who will certainly grow out of it in a few years. i figure a nice cabinet-grade plywood would be sufficient. The only part I’m concerned about is the holding power of screws into the end of the plywood.

Screws (if you use the right screws) should have no problem holding in the end of quality plywood … at least better than MDF. However, the best quality plywood can be expensive in its own right. For kids furniture, I would recommend birch ply and poplar….it’s inexpensive but works well. The only issue with poplar is that it doesn’t stain well, so you are better off finishing with a dye instead of a stain. I think that combination will let you build a quality piece that will hold up to the kids use without breaking the bank.